They refer to Herr Harper as Premier, but I suppose the office formerly know as the PMO has yet to give direction as to what we should call him now. I have no idea. Canada's never been a dictatorship before.

I'm just going to call him 'monster' until we are instructed otherwise.

The article also refers to Libby Davies as the leader of the NDP. Jack Layton is going to love that.

OTTAWA — For the second time in just over a year, Prime Minister Stephen Harper temporarily shut down Parliament on Wednesday, evoking accusations from opposition politicians that he was abusing parliamentary tradition for political gain.Normally, governments take such a step only after several years in power, often as a prelude to an election. The shutdown killed all legislation in progress, including bills championed by Harper's Conservative government.

It also shut down all parliamentary committees, including one raising embarrassing questions about policies on Afghans detained by Canadian troops. Human-rights groups and a Canadian diplomat say the detainees were abused after being handed over to the Afghan government. Harper's government denies that.

In a statement, Harper suggested that he shut down Parliament to introduce a new economic plan in the spring.

The change means Parliament will return from its break March 3 rather than Jan. 25.

Ralph Goodale, the Liberals' House leader, called the move "a shocking insult to democracy." Libby Davies, leader for the New Democratic Party, called it a "political scam."

A day earlier, Harper spoke with Governor General Michaelle Jean by phone and received royal assent to prorogue, or suspend Parliament, to allow time to further prepare the country's economic recovery plan, the Canwest News Service reported.

He made no public appearance, issuing a short statement saying the House of Commons would sit again March 3.

Opposition leaders blasted Harper and accused his minority Conservative government of trying to mothball an inquiry into allegations Canadian troops in Afghanistan turned over prisoners to Afghan authorities knowing the captives would be tortured.

"Harper is showing that his first impulse when he is in trouble is to shut down Parliament," Ignatieff said.

New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton told the Toronto Star he was angry. "This kind of thing can't happen in the United States or most other parliaments -- it's the kind of thing you hear of in dictatorships," Layton said. "It's a slap in the face and it's a denial of the democratic process."